Kris Attfield is the author of three books: The Book of Finch, Letters to Whomever, The Eagle's Sore: A Novella and Pfhonge, The Inter-Continental Brink of Madness, Air Defence, Doorless Darts and Blaine Bananatree - a bunch of video games.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Should my next laptop be Mac or Linux?

It's gonna be a while before I buy a new laptop to replace my aging 2009 model mac (which still runs pretty good btw --- but I am addicted to computers and I'm always thinking of how to upgrade my hardware) --- but I recently tried out Ubuntu Linux on an old machine, and I was really impressed.

Because the iTunes store is mac and windows only, I'll probably always have some kind of tie to the mac, as I don't care to get myself tied in with windows ---- but I'm so impressed with Linux I do wonder if I should get a Linux laptop instead of a new Mac laptop at the next laptop refresh (when I have money).

I can get "better" Linux hardware for cheaper than comparable or worse Mac hardware.

But Mac software might be superior to Linux software.

While Linux has been very cool to me since I was young because of how free it is and I wonder if I switched to that system if more software providers would eventually see growing Linux support and add support for their software to Linux.

While I've also been a big fan of Apple for a long time, and it's nice to see Apple get a slice of the software support action.

Two big reasons why I'll probably always need a Mac Mini (which I already have and hopefully it'll last a long time):: iTunes, and Unity3d among other things.

One big reason I tried Linux was because of open-source software I wanted to try which I was aware was only available for Windows and Linux.

I'm probably going to end up having a setup where I'll be running Mac on my mini for itunes and unity3d, a Linux desktop on another desk for free open source software that doesn't run on mac---

but what should my laptop be? Right now I'm just fine using mac as I do --- but when it's time to upgrade, should I stick with the convenience of apple software or should I go for "better" hardware options at a lower price for a decent OS that I've wanted to support since I was young?

Big question.

<><><>

How does religion, or more specifically - the LDS church tie in with all this??

When I was in my late teens and early twenties, my first two PC's (ok, before I used old second hand macs that were going out of date on my personal desktop, but eventually I upgraded to better PC hardware) were built-it-yourself kits, and because I was poor and didn't want to spend on windows, I invariably used Red Hat Linux (while Red Hat was still a free distribution).

Eventually I tried windows xp, thought it was great so I switched to that. Then I switched to mac when I tried it and found how great it was (and now I'm wondering if I should switch back to Linux, but anyway).

Anywho --- how does my Linux usage in my youth tie in with religion?? Well - it was strange, because I was one of VERY FEW Linux users back then, and back then I was trying to support the LDS church so much, and it was very interesting to me that a CHURCH WEBSITE, under the direction of the FIRST PRESIDENCY, for some reason ENCOURAGED to the use of Red Hat Linux --- the same distribution I already used.

I was so excited about Linux back then that I just wonder if my spirit somehow got church leaders interested too ---- for a long time what I thought about personally and prayed about really seemed to influence top church leadership decisions (however strange that may seem, but that's what I noticed).

OK ---- my local LDS bishop was an A-Hole and wouldn't recognize my relationship with deity or even the strange "telepathic" connection I seemed to have with top LDS leadership----

but the simple fact that I was an excited Red Hat Linux user, and how the First Presidency seemed to officially support or endorse Red Hat Linux for a little while there while I was a RHL user, well, that was just yet another indication (among many) that there is some kind of spiritual or magical reality or even truth to the LDS church.

These days I'm either a Peter denying Christ (because I consider the LDS church Satanic now) or I'm legitimately upset about so much crap in that church (like my old A-Hole bishop) that they might legitimately be considered Satanic ----

But even if the local church failed to make me feel loved, and even if I sent a foul-languaged letter to Dallin H Oaks, For a long time top church leadership has made a weird and strange telepathy based effort to help me feel included and loved in the LDS church, and "Jesus Christ" has even personally appeared to me.

Yes ---- even as the local church goes all wrong in my life, I've often felt great support and I've had huge appreciation of TOP LDS LEADERSHIP.

So, I may be a Peter denying Christ, but top LDS leadership for a very long time (while I still paid attention) helped me feel included - in some strange magical telepathic fashion.

And their endorsement of RedHat Linux back at a time while I was a RedHat User was just one example of that.